Hamilton Chosen For Mass Participation Art Event

Hamilton has been selected as the next UK location to benefit from a high profile public art project by Wild in Art.

The creators of highly publicised mass appeal art events across the globe have selected the town to host a series of life-sized Clydesdale horse sculptures in summer 2014.

Announced today, the ‘Ready Steady Gallop!’ event will see the creation of a trail of 30 uniquely painted, 1.9m tall horses throughout the town and surrounding area.

The sculptures are expected to drive mass footfall and attract thousands of visitors to the town, as with previous host towns including Bristol with its Gromit sculptures, gorillas in Norwich and penguins in Liverpool.

Artists from across Scotland are being invited to come forward and lend their creative flair to the project by designing and painting the horses, and local school children will be inspired and guided to get involved with their own versions of the sculptures.

Locals and visitors to Hamilton will be able to get involved by seeking out each of the horses, which will be placed in prominent locations throughout the town and surrounding area. By following the trail, participants will discover public art as they have never seen it before.

Hamilton businesses will be encouraged to sponsor a horse and, at the end of the project, the sculptures will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Kilbryde Hospice.

Ready Steady Gallop! is being delivered by Hamilton Business Improvement District and Wild in Art, a company which has produced award-winning, mass participation art events across the UK, and orchestrated high profile trails of gorillas, rhinos and Gromits to name just a few.

Gareth Walker, Hamilton BID manager, said: “This is the first event of its kind in the west of Scotland and it is going to be something really special for locals and visitors to get involved with. The spectacle of the horses will hopefully draw people from far and wide, and we hope to raise fantastic sums for Kilbryde Hospice.

“Wild in Art has created some amazing events in other towns which have drawn thousands to see their sculptures and we hope that our Clydesdales will be just as popular.”

Charlie Langhorne, Director, Wild in Art said: “We are thrilled to be working with Hamilton BID to bring Ready Steady Gallop! to Hamilton. Our events are designed to bring the enjoyment of public art to thousands of people while offering new ways to explore a host town. We hope the industries and businesses in Hamilton will recognise the cultural benefits of sponsoring a sculpture as well as the positives for their own community. It will be a fantastic spectacle for the people of Hamilton and is an excellent way to raise vital funds for Kilbryde Hospice.”

Hamilton Business Improvement District is a collective of businesses and key stakeholders from across the town, who have invested collectively and work together to improve the business environment. www.hamiltonourtown.co.uk

Wild in Art is the UK’s leader in the creation of spectacular, mass participation public art events and related community and education activities. Wild in Art’s events make a significant contribution to the economic and social well-being of its partner locations. Wild in Art events have raised over £5,000,000 for charity since 2008. www.wildinart.co.uk